Advocacy

You helped 33-year-old Getachew reach for a bright future.

We’re proud to advocate for the provision of accessible technologies, which have the potential to level the playing field for Canadians with vision loss seeking employment. Getachew Addjeh contacted CNIB soon after immigrating to Manitoba from Eastern Africa. We provided computer and assistive technology training, which gave Getachew the opportunity to fulfill his dreams of pursuing a higher education. He’s now a student at the University of Manitoba with a bright future.

More than half of working-age Canadians with vision loss are struggling to make ends meet on $20,000 a year or less.

CNIB is proud to join forces with World Blind Union to advocate for a barrier-free world.

Only one-third of Canadians with vision loss are employed full or part-time.

Making corneas available for Albertans

After CNIB’s Alberta team lobbied to increase the availability of corneas in the province and reduce the average three-year wait-times for those needing surgery, the Alberta government purchased 500 corneas to help more Albertans get the surgery they need as quickly as possible. The government also passed the Human Tissue and Organ Donation Amendment Act, which makes it easier for people to donate corneas.

Standing up for accessibility

In the last year, our B.C. team was proud to take a leadership role in helping to produce a provincial government whitepaper, focused on how to make B.C. the most progressive in the country for persons with disabilities. With our extensive expertise on accessible accommodations for people who are blind or partially sighted, we were able to provide key recommendations on how to make community environments and public buildings as accessible as possible for people with all degrees of vision loss.

Raising a voice for accessible public transit

After CNIB accessibility experts consulted on the recent redesign of Halifax’s Metro Transit Dartmouth Bridge – Halifax’s busiest public transit hub – the terminal is now much more accessible to passengers with vision loss, with features like large-print and braille signage, and tactile walking surface indicators that guide passengers to platforms and crosswalks. Later, the CNIB team also provided bus operators with training in effectively delivering services to passengers with vision loss.